Corydalis diphylla

Corydalis species are erect or decumbent annual or perennial herbs. Root stocks bulbous, rhizomatous. Stem simple glabrous or glaucous. Leaves with radical whorls, cauline leaves alternate, opposite, 1-3 pinnatisect or ternatisect, basal leaves usually sheathing and petiolate. Inflorescence cymose, racemose or branched racemose, terminal. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, hypogynous, blue to purplish, yellow, rarely pink or white, pedicellate, bracteate, Sepals 2, scarious, dentate, caducous, petals 4, outer series dissimilar, upper one spurred, lower base one gibbous, inner series clawed, cohering. Stamens 6, in 2 bundles, anthers dimorphous, midanthers dithecous and lateral anther monothecous. Ovary unilocular, hypogynous, ovules many, style filiform, stigmas dilated, curved at the apex. Fruits capsules, ovoid-obovoid, oblong, dehiscing when mature by tumid or inflated valves, with persistent style. Seeds many, reniform, suborbicular, shining black.

Corydalis species flowers are complete, bisexual, i.e., with functional male (androecium) and female (gynoecium), including stamens, carpels and ovary. Pollination is entomophilous i.e., by insects. Flowering/Fruiting: March-July.

Seeds may be dispersed by autochory i.e., self dispersal, anemochory i.e., dispersal by wind, zoochory i.e., dispersal by birds or animals.

Erect or slightly decumbent perennial herbs, stout 10-30 cm tall. Stem simple, grooved, slender, usually unbranched, glabrous to subglaucous. Root stocks taproot, with irregularly rounded tubers. Radical leaves absent. Cauline leaves 2, opposite or subopposite, 2-3 ternate, about 10-25 x 3-6 cm across, petiole slender about 1.5-5 cm long, leaflets ovate, oblong, margin entire or lobed pedately, about 2-3 m long, ultimate segments usually oblong-elliptic, or obovate, somewhat fleshy, margin entire or subentire, apex obtuse, middle lobe of each group, consists of 3-5 ultimate segments, about 10-40 x 5-10 mm across, with 3-5 parallel inconspicuous veins, petiolules subsessile to sessile. Inflorescence simple raceme, terminal or axillary, about laxly 3-8 flowered, dense, about 10-15 cm long, bracts leaf-like, ovate-lanceolate, apex acute, about 6-15 mm long. Flowers bisexual, zygomorphic, purple, bright orange, tipped with darker colors, about 1.5-2 cm long, pedicels 6-18 mm long, deflexed in fruit, Sepals 2, suborbicular, margin dentate, erose-winged, membranous, 1-1.5 mm across, petals 4, outer series dissimilar, upper petal spurred, broad, upcurved, winged, apex emarginate, about 7-11 mm across, spur subcylindric to infundibuliform, about 12 mm long, lower petal somewhat similar to the upper petals. Stamens 6, in 2 bundles, anthers dimorphous. Ovary unilocular, hypogynous, ovules many, style filiform, stigmas dilated, curved at the apex. Fruits capsules, ellipsoid-oblong, about 10-15 x 4-5 mm across, dehiscing when mature by tumid or inflated valves, with persistent style. Seeds 5-8, biseriate, orbicular, compressed, about 2 mm across, shining black.

Corydalis species are susceptible to insect pests, bacterial blights, moulds and rusts.

Temperate forests of Northwestern and Western Himalayas, altitude 2500-3200 m.

Not evaluated (IUCN).